Parental Leave — Maternity, Paternity, and congé parental

French maternity and parental leave is built jointly by health, labour law, and social security: the Code du travail sets the right to leave and the Assurance maladie branch of social security pays the daily allowance (IJSS, indemnités journalières) during it. Two features stand out compared with Korea: paternity leave is 25 days, with part of it mandatory, and the separate congé parental d'éducation offers a longer dedicated parental-leave option.

Core schemes:

• Congé maternité (maternity leave) — generally 16 weeks in total (6 weeks before the expected birth and 10 weeks after) as the standard. For a third child or higher and for multiple births, leave is extended (for example, 26+ weeks for a multiple birth or third child, depending on the case). Part of the leave is mandatory (late pregnancy and immediately after birth), and IJSS is paid by health insurance during this period (based on prior salary, subject to a ceiling).
• Congé paternité et d'accueil de l'enfant (paternity leave) — extended in July 2021 to 25 days as standard (32 days for multiple births), of which the first 7 days immediately after birth are mandatory. IJSS is paid by social security.
• Congé d'adoption (adoption leave) — runs 16–22 weeks depending on family circumstances (with 22+ weeks for multi-child adoptions), with IJSS paid.
• Congé parental d'éducation (parental childcare leave) — parents who meet a minimum tenure requirement can take full or part-time leave until the child's third birthday. The right to return to the same role (or an equivalent role) is protected by labour law during the leave.
• PreParE (parental childcare allowance) — paid by CAF as a parental-choice allowance. It is designed so that both parents must use a portion to receive the full amount, encouraging shared use.
• Breastfeeding hours (allaitement) and antenatal protections — labour law restricts night and hazardous work during pregnancy, allows time off for medical appointments, and provides for breastfeeding hours. As a rule, dismissal on grounds of pregnancy is prohibited.

Points from an immigrant perspective:

• IJSS eligibility depends on social-security affiliation and working-time conditions. If you arrive with only a short contribution history, EU social-security totalisation (Regulation 883/2004) can include time accrued in other EU countries. Korean periods sit outside the agreement; whether Korea would simultaneously pay any maternity benefit needs to be checked separately on the Korean side.
• Self-employed (TNS) and liberal professions (profession libérale) — separate régimes apply, with IJSS formulas and durations that can differ from those for salaried employees.
• Civil servants (fonctionnaires) — separate rules apply, generally with broader continuation of pay during leave.
• Collective agreements (convention collective) can be more generous — many companies and sector agreements top up maternity, paternity, or parental leave (for example, paying above the IJSS ceiling). Always check the company rules and applicable agreement alongside the statutory entitlement.
• Order of notification — CAF, CPAM, employer — typically: notify pregnancy (with the doctor's certificate) → notify the employer → register with CPAM → after the birth declaration, the PAJE prime à la naissance and CAF updates flow automatically.

Official guidance: ameli.fr — maternité, service-public.fr — congé, caf.fr